


Goodbye Kiss

by Creed Cascade (creedcascade)



Category: Fast and the Furious Series
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, First Kiss, Grief/Mourning, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-06
Updated: 2012-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-29 01:03:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/314127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creedcascade/pseuds/Creed%20Cascade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The kiss between Brian and Mia was a goodbye kiss. She knew the truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Goodbye Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> Post Fast and Furious. Written before Fast Five.

Mia Toretto was “The One Who Got Away” for Brian and every woman would forever be measured against her, always falling short. Five years had changed Mia, maturing her into a beautiful woman and erasing any traces of the trusting, naive girl she had been. When Mia looked at him now, it was with a wariness and knowledge that Brian had betrayed her. Brian had used her to get closer to Dom and he wasn’t sure she would ever forgive him for that. It was more than the case, because even now he was using her to get closer to Dom. Brian had no intention of turning Dom into the Feds. Since he had been drawn in by the man’s gravity and intensity, there was no escaping.

Choosing Mia was easy and logical. He told himself he was coming back for her. She was beautiful, strong, and perfect. It made for the ideal happy ending if only he could only keep Dom safe. Mia shared so many qualities with her brother, but tempered them with femininity. She was loyal, passionate, and stubborn. It made perfect sense that Brian had never stopped loving her and would come back to be part of the family. As he kissed her, Brian told himself he loved her and would make it work this time.

As he kissed her, he knew Dom was out in the garage. Brian knew that Dom’s absence and lack of shooting or punching him was Dom’s way of giving permission. He never would have gotten this close to Mia without Dom’s consent. Running a hand up Mia’s thigh, Brian thought of Dom watching and groaned softly.

Pressing in closer, he stopped when Mia pushed back against his chest. “I’m sorry,” Brian told her. He didn’t care how many times he had to say it, but he would keep repeating it until one day he hoped he was forgiven. “I love you.”

Mia ran a finger along Brian’s jaw, stopping under his chin. “I know.” She tilted her head to the side, considering him and it reminded Brian of the way Dom watched people seeming to dig into their soul.

“Too soon?” Brian moved his hand back down to her knee. “We can take it slow.”

A smile ghosted over her lips. “You don’t do slow.”

“I can,” Brian insisted. “For you.” Brian moved in closer, wrapping his arms around her small waist and laying his head onto her shoulder. He kissed the curve of her neck. It felt comfortable being with Mia like this. “I can change.”

Mia sighed and ran her fingers through his hair. “You cut your hair.”

“Yeah.” He didn’t tell it was an attempt to fit in with the Feds. Even with short hair and the suits that never felt right, he didn’t fit in. Brian knew what she wanted to hear and he wanted to mean it. Given time, he was sure it wouldn’t leave him feeling uneasy. “Told you I could change. I can grow-up. Be responsible. Give up the cars.”

“I thought you were done with lying to me?”

“I’m not lying,” Brian insisted. Mia hadn’t pushed him away and he rubbed his cheek against her soft skin. “I’m willing…”

“It’s in your blood, Brian. Just like it’s in Dom’s. You don’t do slow. Everything in life is like a ten second car for your type. Love. Life. It’s all hard and fast. All or nothing. Loving men like you and my brother is a heart ache.”

Brian tensed at what was sounding more like rejection. Mia was still touching him, as she ran her fingers through his hair, but it was more comforting than sensual.

“I think you know more about that heart ache that you’re willing to admit,” she whispered into Brian’s ear. “I know.”

Two words that made Brian freeze when he wanted to run. It was Mia’s tone that said it all. She knew Brian’s secret. She knew about Dom.

“Consider this a goodbye kiss,” Mia whispered and kissed the top of Brian’s head. She untangled herself from his now lapsed hold, pushing him away gently.

Brian took a few faltering steps back, complexion paling. “Don’t tell Dom.”

There was so many things that Brian wanted to beg Mia not to tell her brother. Don’t tell him I hurt you. Don’t tell him not to trust me. Don’t tell him to send me away. But, the most damning of all was, don’t tell Dom I love him.

Mia jumped off the kitchen counter and straightened her dress. “He already knows.”

Brian shook his head. “No.”

“He’s always known.” Mia gave him a sad smile. “Funny thing about a man like Dom is that everyone in his life loves him. They can’t help it. Everyone loves him, just in a different way.”

“Mia, please…” Brian hesitated, not sure what he was asking for. “I never meant to hurt you.”

Mia turned away from Brian, her gaze focusing on a picture secured to the fridge. It was a photograph of Mia and Dom’s parents dancing in this very kitchen. “Dom’s very much like our Dad. The racing. The way he loved. Maybe the way he’ll die. Dad only ever loved our Mom. Men like Dom only ever love one woman. I don’t think he’s capable of loving another woman the way he loved Letty.” She caressed the sun faded photo, her fingers lingering over their smiling faces. “Letty’s gone.”

Brian wanted to convince her that it was her he loved, but the words would not come. They were a lie. He loved her, but not the way he loved Dom. He told himself that he could push it down, lock it away, and try to be happy with Mia. He would be as close to Dom as he dared and in the man’s life. Meeting Mia’s gaze now though, he knew that he could never do that to her. The independent woman she had grown into wouldn’t let him do that to her.

“I have to fix this,” Brian said with a shaky voice.

“This?” Mia inhaled sharply. “Us? There’s nothing to can fix. Or, are you talking about Dom being on the run?”

“I promise I can bring him home. You both deserve that.”

“Oh, Brian,” Mia sighed sadly. She moved closer and laid her hand on his shoulder. “You’re just like Letty that way. You’d sacrifice yourself for him. He did this to himself, too. He’s crossed the line, pushing the law for the thrill of it. I love him, but my brother’s no saint.”

Brian’s pride bristled at the comparison. “I’m not Letty.”

“No, you’re not,” Mia agreed. She patted Brian shoulder and pulled her hand back to her side. “You’re here. There’s no fixing this. There’s no way you can change him…”

“I don’t want to change him,” Brian snapped. “I just want to…”

“Want to what? Make amends?”

Brian nodded. “Yes.”

“He forgave you when you let him go. You said you let him go because you respected him,” Mia continued with her verbal assault. “It’s more than that, and we both know it. He knows it, too. Problem is that he thinks I love you. I could have, maybe… but, one night and what you did…”

“I’m sorry.”

“Say it again and I’ll punch you,” Mia shook her head at Brian’s stubborn repetition and huffed under her breath. “What we had… there really wasn’t anything real to it. It was a big ‘What If’ based on lies.”

Brian backed up, the words hitting worse than any punch could.

“But,” Mia said, “What you have with Dom is based on something real. Something fucked up, but real. You were capable of betraying me, but you couldn’t betray him in the end. I got over you, Brian. He won’t.”

Everything she was saying was overwhelming and he was having trouble figuring out what Mia wanted. “Do you forgive me?”

Mia honestly wished that Brian could have been her Prince Charming with a White Picket Fence ending, but that was never meant to be. Brian had never been hers.

Mia shrugged and hoped that Brian would be able to save Dom from himself. “As much as I can. Let’s just say, I’ve accepted.” Moving closer to Brian she raised up on her tip toes and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “You break his heart, I'll break your neck.”

“Oh, God,” Brian groaned hearing the same threat Dom had given all those years ago.

Mia smirked and stepped away, motioning to the door. “He’s in the garage.”

Brian couldn’t help looking at the door, thinking of Dom working on the car. “What about you?”

“It’s not your place to ask me that,” Mia told him. “You lost that right. I’ll worry about myself, thank you very much. Go. Your place isn’t with me. It never was.”

Mia’s expression and tone couldn’t hide her bitterness, but under all of that, Brian sensed something else. This was the closure they both needed and it was also an understanding.

Brian didn’t want to say anything to mess this up, but he had to tell Mia one thing. “Right now, I think I respect you more than anyone else.”

He didn’t wait for an answer, turning to leave the kitchen. That was the best goodbye he could give that part of his life, even though he hoped Mia would take on a different role in his life if he lived through this. He hoped she would be his friend.

When Brian entered the garage and saw Dom leaning over the engine, Brian was thankful for Mia. He would have denied himself this possibility, but she was stronger than him.

The side of Dom’s mouth quirked, but his expression was unreadable when he sensed Brian’s presence. “I thought you’d be somewhere else.”

Brian stepped into the garage and closed the door behind him. “Nowhere else I’d rather be right now.”

Dom wiped his greasy hands on his pants and then stood up to his full height. Tilting his head to the side, he considered Brian. “That so?”

It was clearly a challenge and a shiver ran down Brian’s spine at the low growl, but he stood his ground. “Yeah.”

Dom cracked his neck, slowing starting to circle Brian. “Mia?”

Brian was no coward and met Dom’s gaze full on with a challenge of his own. “One of the best women I know. The bravest. Letty would be the only other woman that compares.” Dom tensed when Brian mentioned Letty, but he slowly kept circling Brian. He gave Dom what he hoped was a confident smile and waved at the Charger. “I could help. I’m pretty sure she would have liked that.”

Brian would be happy if that was all he got out of tonight. If Dom could trust him enough to work his prized car, then that had to be enough. Call it selfish perhaps, but Brian wanted even a small part of Dom, even if it was just for tonight. The man was still grieving Letty and despite the intensity between them, nothing had ever been spoken. The undercurrent of the promise was always there, but Brian was unsure if Dom wanted to take it any farther. Dom was on a quest to avenge Letty and Brian didn’t even think he registered as important enough in Dom’s existence to distract him from his mission. Dom was the kind of man who couldn’t stop until he finished something, even if it killed him. Avenging her was suicidal, but it was Dom’s decision and Brian knew there was no stopping him.

“I saw you at her funeral,” Dom growled low. “Hate you in a suit.”

“I requested that detail,” Brian said and Dom stopped, standing in front of him. “Had to pay my respects.”

“You saw me.”

Brian nodded and stood still as Dom stepped closer. “Yeah.”

Dom cocked his head to the side, face close enough to Brian’s that their noses almost touched. “You didn’t turn me in.”

“I didn’t and I won’t,” Brian promised.

“Why?”

“I can’t.” Brian wanted to reach out and touch Dom. He wanted to run his hands up and down Dom’s arms, but kept his desires in check. It wasn’t that he was a coward, but this restraint was born out of respect for Dom and his grief.

Dom was breathing heavier now and his eyes had grown darker. “This isn’t your fight.”

“It is.”

“Me ‘n’ Letty…” Dom started and then stopped for a moment as he caressed a cross in his hand. “We’re not over.”

Brian knew what Dom was saying. The man couldn’t start something new until he had laid her to rest and there was only one way to do that. Dom had to avenge her. It was part of Dom’s code.

“I get it,” Brian whispered.

Dom was still caressing the cross and Brian stepped closer, tilting his head as he leaned in to brush his lips over Dom’s lips. The kiss was a promise of his own. Brian wanted to linger, but he felt no response from Dom. As he pulled away quickly, Dom’s fingers had closed over the cross in a fist and the man’s heavy shoulders were tensed. Anyone else would have read it as anger, but Brian knew Dom was restraining himself in another way.

Brian stepped away from Dom and licked his lips. “Mia asked me why I let you go. I told her it was because I respected you more than I respected myself. I respect you enough to wait. I’m crazy enough to help and believe we’ll live through this.”

“Last person who loved me like that died.”

“She never stopped loving you,” Brian said. He knew Letty would always be a ghost hovering close and feeding Dom’s doubts. There was no way you could ignore her and being any part of Dom’s future meant acknowledging her. “She kept fighting. I liked that about her.”

Dom opened up his palm. He had squeezed it so hard the corners of the cross had cut into his calloused flesh. Brian carefully reached out and traced the corners of the cross, fingertip caressing Dom’s palm.

There was nothing to say to console Dom for the loss of Letty. He doubted the man would ever forgive himself for her death. “I’m here. Can’t promise I won’t die, but I’m pretty hard to kill.”

“I won’t runaway from this… I’m done running.”

“I know.” Brian trailed his fingers up to Dom’s wrist, feeling his steady pulse. “I’m done running, too.”

Dom was silent for a moment and then nodded. He grasped Brian’s hand, lingers for a moment before wrenching away. “Screw up my ride and you’ll regret it.” His back was turned to Brian when he tapped the Charger and admitted, “You’re the only one besides Letty I let work on my girl.”

Brian knew this was the second time tonight he had come to an understanding with a Toretto. He could have pushed and maybe could have had a night full of fucking, but Brian had learned tonight to respect himself enough to hold out for something more. Dom wouldn’t disrespect Letty’s memory and he wasn’t done grieving. Finishing the Charger she had worked on was his memorial to her.

Brian knew he wasn’t going to be her replacement. He wasn’t exactly sure what exactly he was to Dom, but he was damn sure that he was Dom’s.

END.


End file.
